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Liberty Public Schools adopts 2025–26 budget after mixed revenue signals
Summary
The district board approved the 2025–26 budget after hearing that tax collections exceeded expectations but the state foundation formula returned slightly less than projected, leaving a roughly $131,000 shortfall for the current year; the board voted to adopt the completed budget and will monitor federal and state allocations going forward.
The Liberty Public Schools Board of Education adopted the district’s completed 2025–26 budget after officials reported higher-than-expected local tax collections but a small shortfall in state foundation funding.
Cindy Sullivan presented the completed budget and the changes since the preliminary document, saying the district reduced projected revenue by $16,486.06 and increased projected expenditures by $280,717. “We collected a 100.42% of amounts levied,” Sullivan said, noting that collection rates historically run lower and that the extra collections are unusual.
The district also reported a gap in state foundation funding tied to the adequacy target. “It does leave us with a shortfall of a little over $131,000, for foundation formula revenue this year,” Sullivan said. She told the board the shortfall came mainly from lower-than-expected lottery, gaming and cigarette-tax receipts.
Sullivan told trustees the state’s supplemental appropriation did not fully cover the scheduled adequacy target and that the district had taken a conservative approach when building the coming year’s budget. She also warned that some federal reimbursements had been delayed into next year, affecting near-term cash flow: “We have not been informed that we won't get it. Timing is just a little bit different than we expected on some of that,” she said, referencing Title I, early childhood and IDEA allocations.
Board members asked whether the extra tax collections and the foundation shortfall were reflected in the documents before them; Sullivan said current-year collections that arrived after the budget document’s compilation were not reflected and would be considered in future amendments if necessary. She noted the district historically budgets state aid conservatively and would amend the budget later if state receipts changed.
Trustees voted to adopt the budget. The motion to adopt the 2025–26 district budget carried with the following roll-call: Nick — yes; Jen — yes; AJ — yes; Dan — yes; Drew — yes; Angie — yes; Karen — yes.
The board was told the audit/finance committee reviewed district finances this month and had no items to pass on. District leadership said they will continue to track the timing of federal reimbursements and the state adequacy calculation and will bring amendments to the board as needed.
The adopted budget package included a change log that identifies the small revenue decrease and the larger expenditure increases the board reviewed before voting. The district will monitor collections and year-end results and return to the board for any material adjustments.
